Weller: I want to thank DEUCE and all the other TW readers for their patience during this busy US Open Series Summer of Tennis. By the way, if DEUCE wants to discuss the "contributions" of a certain Lou Noritz to the men's tennis circuit, I would be happy to do that off-line, as I would not want to waste the other readers' time.

Posted by NoBadMojo:
Q: Has the ATP Tour given any thought to incorporating any HarTru events into the mix? With players taking a beating and the ball flying so fast out there, wouldn’t harTru be a solution to slow things down a bit and to keep the players healthier and the tour more marketable? Players must be tired coming into the summer US hardcourt season, and then get beaten up pretty badly with the hardcourts, the heat, and the humidity. I think a faster HarTru setup would showcase the player’s skills better and extend their careers, etc. Kinda like the NFL has gone more back to the natural turf.?

Weller
A: The simplest answer to this question is that the surfaces of the Grand Slams dictate the composition of the rest of the tennis calendar as they are its cornerstones. Through 1974 when the US Open was held on grass, there was a flourishing summer grass court circuit in the Northeast at such traditional venues as The Meadow Club, Merion, Longwood, Orange Lawn, Seabright and others. Likewise, in Australia before the Australian Open moved to Melbourne Park from its grass court home at Kooyong in 1988. When the US Open moved to Har-tru from 1975-77, the summer in the
States became almost exclusively clay as my friend Ed (NoBadMojo) will remember (as do I) the Monday night finals of Longwood, Washington, etc. on PBS. Despite the US Open moving to the hard courts of Flushing in 1978, this clay circuit lingered until the mid-80's when the summer promoters finally switched to hard courts, hoping that more recognizable American names might prevail on the hard courts over the clay savvy Europeans and South Americans. Finally, in the early 1990's, the USTA pushed for a mini clay court swing in the US during the spring which had as one of its stated goals, to help develop more American players with all-around games. The events were consistently overshadowed by the European clay events (Monte Carlo, Hamburg, Rome to name just the ATP Masters Series events in that time of year) and so now only the US Clay Court Championships in Houston and the Bermuda challenger remain. So, as you can see, in a calendar full of events (and we will address NORTH's off season question shortly), there is little room for events to be played on surfaces other than those on which the majors are held.

What is the ATP opinion on the International Men's Tennis Association?

Posted By equinox:
Q: What is the ATP opinion on the International Men's Tennis Association? Will the ATP consider and implement the proposals brought forth by the IMTA?

Weller:
A: In response to EQUINOX's question, let me address the IMTA in general and then maybe you can enlighten me as to what specific initiatives of theirs you are referring. At first, when I heard that some players were taking steps to become better informed about their sport and become more involved in the game outside of the white lines, I was encouraged. Not since the evolution of the ATP into the very unique partnership (more later) called the ATP Tour in 1990 had the players, on the surface, looked to take such responsibility. However, it became apparent very quickly that the motives of the few behind the movement were less than pure. Those involved were either looking to "grandstand" (the lawyers) or had a personal vendetta. Their tactics were misrepresentation and their limited yet often exaggerated support came from preying upon the habitually oblivious or exploiting the determinedly disgruntled segment of the playing population (ie. some doubles players who felt increasingly disenfranchised or those players who the Tour had unfortunately been forced to sanction or penalize). Their interest in establishing a "player union" was not only unnecessary but demonstrated a fundamental lack of understanding of the partnership which is the ATP, a unique entity in professional sport. Instead of going into detail in this forum, let me just say that other professional athletes can only dream about having as much input into the way their sport is conducted.

Posted by jaap deboeck
Q: Will star players be somewhat visible during the 2 weeks per year that NYC gets to see a top 100 pro player, or will they wave to the fans briefly on their way off ythe court disappearing into the void that the pros inhabit? Mr. VP, you can't have a sport prosper where pros are rarely encountered in the flesh by fans in major sports centers. Think about it!

Weller
A: As a fan of other sports, I hear you JAAP DEBONECK about wanting more accessibility to the players, especially our marquee attractions. With the introduction of the player initiated STARS Program in the mid-1990's, the ATP has attempted to bring the players together with fans and sponsors more than ever was done in the past (and as far as
Jimmy or Mac talking about all they gave back to the game while they were playing...as one who was there, they are either suffering from selective amnesia or revisionist history syndrome). Yes, Jimmy energized the crowd while on the court but it wasn't until he had a piece of the action on the senior tour that he became a "corporate animal" in addition to a "competitive animal". Along with the Tennis Channel and others, the ATP is also breaking new ground by producing behind the scenes DVDs like "Tennis Masters Cup, Uncovered" and "Facing Federer" and our players are much more comfortable than ever before sharing their thoughts minutes before televised matches. Plus, none of the other sports I follow allow me to mingle around the grounds as close to and even bump into world-class athletes as tennis does, even at the ATP Masters Series level. Admittedly, given the magnitude, hectic ness and pressures of the majors like in Flushing, this potential interaction on the grounds is limited but pick any other spot, even the Masters Series, and rubbing elbows with a top tennis professional is not uncommon, as I am sure other TW regulars can attest and have even documented in this forum.

Posted By joesixtoe:
Q: If shot spot is going to happen,, what about the low level courts at arena's? like courts other than the center court,, how can shot spot be done for those courts?

Posted By nedmo
Q: Mr. Evans,
Do most of the players on tour feel that some sort of computerized line-calling system would be appropriate at the present time, and, if so, has the ATP acted on their volitions by taking steps to implement some sort of system?

Weller
A: Perhaps JOESIXTOE and NEDMO heard Mary Carillo briefly address electronic line calling during the third set of Agassi vs. Berdych on Saturday. In 2002, the ATP, along with the WTA and the ITF (who are responsible for the rules of tennis) formed a joint technical committee to evaluate and certify electronic line calling systems. Many of you are familiar with "SpotShot" and the "IBM Tracker" which are used for television enhancement and your entertainment without being "officiating quality" accurate. However, for any electronic line calling system to be certified, it must be accurate (obviously), objective (determining whether the ball is in or out with no chair umpire judgment involved) and virtually instantaneous with the result delivered quickly and conveniently. Beginning with the 2004 US Open there have been several testing sessions and believe me, had any of the systems come close to meeting the criteria above, the US Open would have put it in place on the show courts (Ashe, Armstrong and Grandstand) for this year's event. They were very anxious to do it but we are just not there yet. The computer generated graphics may be very slick and colorful and Brad
Gilbert may elect to put his faith in the systems as they currently operate but the bottom line is that they are just not ready...close, but as all you players out there know, close is not good enough. Once deemed accurate, several issues still need consideration. One is the fact that these systems which utilize many cameras and computers are not cheap and therefore, especially initially, will not be used on all the match courts. Is this fair you might ask? Well, having used "Cyclops" (the electronic service line calling system) on only show courts for years without any backlash would seem to answer that question, although I am sure some players will raise an objection. The second issue to resolve is whether to allow unlimited challenges by the players, as is allowed currently in clay court matches with ball mark inspections, or limit the number of challenges. Even as the technology is being refined and enhanced, the debate continues with both players and even tournaments (Australian Open vs. US Open) taking different approaches. Stay tuned!

Although it’s a bit late to post a question, I’ll try. How are doubles partners matched up in the USO? Of course some play together regularly, but particularly in the mixed, that’s not true. Is it all up to the players and coaches, or do the ATP/WTA play matchmaker?

Posted by JRoss
Q: Although it’s a bit late to post a question, I’ll try. How are doubles partners matched up in the USO? Of course some play together regularly, but particularly in the mixed, that’s not true. Is it all up to the players and coaches, or do the ATP/WTA play matchmaker?

Weller
A: While the ATP Player Relations staff gets very involved in the pairings and entries for the Men's Doubles, it does not have the same enthusiasm for, or devote the same attention to the Mixed Doubles.

Weller:
If the USO men's, women's and mixed (?) doubles were moved to NH (in place of the singles), would more top players be willing to play? Good, less demanding tune-up; no singles conflict; TV coverage.

I will be graduating in the Summer of 2006 with a BBA in Marketing. I would like to continue on to work with tennis. I am curious what kind of jobs might potentially exsist with the ATP, and any other random information regarding such positions. I love tennis, and would like to make a career of it. Since I am not good enough to play pro tennis....working around it would be great.

Weller:
(Prompted by Steve Tignor's TM blog today)
Cyclops has never been tested, and we know it frequently malfunctions, and is eventually turned off. No human being is ever tested, but we know they frequently malfunction, without being turned off. But somehow we know that ELC is not accurate within X millimeters, 100% of the time, so it is not turned on. What is wrong with this picture?

Posted by North
Q: I have heard a number of players in interviews speak of wishing the season was shorter to decrease the number of injuries. Would this even be feasible? Has it ever been considered?

Weller
A: This is an issue which usually arises either at the end of the season or at the beginning of the new year as players return to the circuit and the first Grand Slam of the year all too soon from the holidays. It is also one of those debates where it is difficult to satisfy all players. For those who regularly play deep into tournaments and qualify for the Tennis Masters Cup or Davis Cup final, playing into December makes it tough to be ready mentally and physically for the Australian Open a month later. For lower ranked players who may not have played as many matches throughout the year, they are still looking for playing opportunities in November and December.
From a calendar perspective, the fall schedule is already compressed as much as possible. The Asian swing is limited to 3 weeks and six very high level indoor events have been squeezed into two weeks (Moscow, Stockholm and Vienna in one; Basel, St. Petersburg and Lyon in the other). These are tournaments which deserve, at the very least, to share their week with only one other event.
We also need to be careful not to fall into the trap of comparing tennis' off-season to those of other sports. While in team sports you play your team's schedule, tennis players can, to some extent, pick and chose what events to play and when to take time off. The individual nature of the sport allows them the freedom to follow their own schedule and create their own personal "mini off-seasons" or breaks throughout the year.

12. Posted By Andy Hewitt:
Q: What is being done to lighten the load on the ATP players? I am very disappointed with some turnout for tournaments this year. There are too many injuries which to me anyway, makes the year end masters the only event that I like because all the top players take part. I hope there is going to be a way to keep the players healthy so all the top players can compete in top tier events.

Weller
A: User Andy Hewitt, this postscript to the previous answer should address your concern. While the tennis calendar is far from perfectly arranged and the international aspect and different surfaces make coming up with the ideal playing schedule challenging, players are their own worst enemy when it comes to playing too much. I have to chuckle when a player goes from a long summer in the US to Asia for one week, to a Davis Cup tie on a different surface and then to Europe the following week and then, as a response to losing early or being injured, claims the ATP is forcing him to play too much. The player has only himself to blame if he plays a schedule which, while making his agent happy, makes his coach and doctor cringe.

Posted by Aykhan Mammadov:
Q: Any plans to shorten sets by decreasing number of games ?

Weller
A: There was some experimentation five years ago with playing best of five sets to 4 games ("short sets") at the minor league levels (futures and satellites) of the game. The concept was that you create more critical, and therefore more exciting moments in a match. Predictably, as players are extremely resistive to change, this did not go beyond the experimental stage.
As you read in this feature earlier, there have been discussions about no-ad scoring and shorter sets in doubles. As I write I am watching one such doubles match in Beijing. However, the current experiment would not seem to go far enough in accomplishing the stated goal of making the length of a doubles match more predictable.

Posted By Exile:
Q: My question is how does one get into your sort of career pathway?
I know I'd want to be whatever it is you are....

Weller
A; I don't blame you. This job has been a tremendous opportunity for me to travel the world and work in a fun environment like professional tennis, a sport I enjoy both playing and watching. The handful of guys who have been tour managers (the most challenging yet exciting position in the ATP) over the past 25 years have all had a tennis background ...not necessarily great players but involved in the sport in some way, as a journalist or manufacturers representative, in tournament management or even coaching or teaching. Also, these days, an additional language to English is essential; Spanish would be helpful out on the circuit today, perhaps Russian or Chinese in the future. Had I been applying for the tour manager position today, there is no way I would have landed the job with ATP with my limited language skills.
So my suggestion would be that, in addition to all the normal tennis activities in which you are involved, try to become associated with any professional tennis event which comes to a city near you. Even as a volunteer, it allows you to network with those who are involved in the sport, an opportunity to showcase your energy, enthusiasm, people skills and passion for the sport.

Posted By GotGame?
Q: I would like to know if you are contemplating about putting any of these following suggested improvements for the game into effect:

- Permanently using models as ball girls, like was done at the Masters event in Madrid last year
- Bigger balls
- Smaller courts
- Adorning the backs of players' shirts with their names
- Sanctioned on-court coaching
- Elimination of best-of-five format - except in Grand Slam finals
- No let serves

Weller
A: MODELS AS BALLGIRLS: If they can throw and catch, why not? I'm sure you can find tons of aspiring models who want to run around in the heat and humidity of Indianapolis for a tournament t-shirt and some mac and cheese.

BIGGER BALLS: A fiasco several years ago when somehow the ITF convinced ball manufacturers, much to their chagrin, to invest millions in the production of a bigger ball. Never made it past the experimentation stage at satellite events and the premise that it made the game easier to learn was ridiculous (the lighter, oversized racket did way more to further that goal).

SMALLER COURTS: Please. Guys like Hewitt or Coria (who I am watching right this moment in Beijing) already make the court seem small. You want a smaller court? Play paddle tennis at Venice Beach or platform tennis at some country club in the northeast.

NAMES ON THE BACKS OF SHIRTS: If the clothing manufacturers think this would sell more apparel, then I am all for it. If, however, it is just to aid in identifying the players, anybody who cannot use the scoreboard to assist in this regard probably also needs that seat belt demonstration on the airplane.

ON-COURT COACHING: This was experimented with at a half dozen ATP events several years ago. Coaching was allowed at the set breaks. It was not adopted as the players expressed two reservations:
1) Not every player could afford a coach. A specious argument at best because there are a multitude of goods and services which enhance performance that some players can afford and others cannot.
2) Tennis is unique as it is one of the few sports where the athlete must think for himself as well as physically perform. Yet, while most players opposed implementing coaching, many accept it surreptitiously during their matches.

ELIMINATE BEST OF FIVE SET MATCHES: I believe sometime down the road (maybe not anytime soon, however) Grand Slams will have to face this issue. In today's climate of short attention spans and hundreds of choices at the click of your remote control, who but the hard-core tennis fan(atic) sits and watches an ENTIRE five set match. Come on now, as compelling as it was, who out there saw every point of the Blake-Agassi match, an instant classic?

ELIMINATE THE LET: A logical move. Why is it acceptable to have a lucky let cord during a point but not on a serve one shot before? In addition, it would add excitement to the game, especially if both players could return the let serve in doubles (as in World Team Tennis). More players are open minded to this change than 10 years ago.

As great as the game of professional tennis is, it needs to constantly evolve to keep pace with other professional sports which do. Since the tie-break was introduced over 35 years ago, what other innovations have been made? Yellow balls? Modifying the first changeover in each set? Is that it?

We need to continue to enhance tennis WITHOUT changing the essence of the game.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question Mr. Evans. I thought I was going to get a response with those 'big, serious' words, but you really broke it down for me in simple terms. Our sport has so much tradition that I agree that we should dare not change the essence of it, but as players evolve, the tour should do all they can to aid to keep this sport flourishing.

ELIMINATE BEST OF FIVE SET MATCHES: I believe sometime down the road (maybe not anytime soon, however) Grand Slams will have to face this issue. In today's climate of short attention spans and hundreds of choices at the click of your remote control, who but the hard-core tennis fan(atic) sits and watches an ENTIRE five set match. Come on now, as compelling as it was, who out there saw every point of the Blake-Agassi match, an instant classic?

Click to expand...

Sorry, you're totally wrong on this subject, Mr. Evans. Have you heard of being present, in advertising terms?

Golf is staying from 11am to 19.00 on TV, and no one is complaining of short attention span there. One goes in the kitchen, goes on a walk, comes back, the golf is still there and watched. Even intermitently, that is a PRESENCE, not an ABSENCE.

Try to stay more in the general view, offer more product, not less.

Same about all changes (no ad scoring), etc, which are supposed to make the matches shorter. And that includes tie-breaks. I want to have Pasarell vs Gonzalez for two days out there, in full view of the nation. Not by running away are you going to attract attention.

BTW, it might really help to limit the size and stiffnesses of the rackets. Think baseball, the pros are still using wood, not aluminum bats. I am not suggesting wood, but I am suggesting limits which would help the S-V game and the spectacle.

Now it's too one-sided and people are turning away from tennis for this reason. Don't you people in positions of power see this?

Well, thank you very much for letting me know that the focus of the ATP is solely on America. Not every country has hundred's of choices at the click of a button and even in those other countries that have pay-tv (as we call it) available ,the number of people opting for the service is far from overwhelming. So there you go, you've got a captive audience already.

As to shorter attention spans, not all of us think it's a good thing and not all of us believe it is an integral part of the television experience. Marius has mentioned golf as a positive example that people will stick with a product and I could just as easily use Cricket. Now, there's a sport that doesn't reach a conclusion (and sometimes the conclusion is that there is no winner) for 5 days but people watch. Travel to the participating countries and you will hear it on television sets from start to close of play. Hardly an indication that sport can't hold an audience over more than 3 sets.

People are turning away from the sport not because there is anything wrong with the actual sport itself but because the game has no sense of continuity. When Agassi is gone the link to the past is Federer and that's it. While the skills may be more polished nothing remains of the game's beauty. Tennis has been allowed to become monotonous because the element of risk has been removed, partly through the slowing down of courts and largely through the inability to regulate equipment. Now, ironically, the only chance to see players fully test themselves is in doubles, the game you'd effectively wipe out.

I think all of those terms apply. Lack of risk (endless topspin crosscourt groundstrokes w. high safety margin.....yawn), and lack of creativity and imagnation by one dimensional baseline play to a large degree. baseline play could be interesting if it wasnt dominating the sport (ie a baseliner vs an all courter or serve/volleyer...think Agassi vs Sampras)....now we essentially have one baseliner going aganst another w. very few exceptions.....It seems to even be boring to many of us who are actually very interested in the game....pro tennis is turning into NASCAR from a viewing standpoint....if NASCAR can be wildly popular why cant T be at least semi popular?

Sir: This Forum (I am writing here for the past 8 years) and other instructional websites are doing wonders in areas of technical-tactical teachings and corrections. It would be nice if the WTA and ATP players visit them, learn from them, and possibly give their input whenever they are not playing/training (due to rain delays, etc). This will result into a great interaction between players and coaches and will be good for the promotion of the game of tennis. Last year through the help of forehand models I fixed a technical flaw in the forehand of Aisam ul Haq Qureshi of Pakistan who is an ATP player. Because of that minor adjustment in his point of contact and backswing, he had great wins against Paradorn Srichaphan/Thailand, and Lu/Chinese Taipei in Davis Cup matches. I live in Islamabad/Pakistan and away from these sites but found them excellent teaching tools to fix those flaws we often see on the WTA and ATP tours:

It would also be a good idea if your touring Pros employ certified coaches in addition to their "hitting partners" -- these hitting partners are good in hitting but not good in fixing a technical and/or tactical problem!

Well, thank you very much for letting me know that the focus of the ATP is solely on America. Not every country has hundred's of choices at the click of a button and even in those other countries that have pay-tv (as we call it) available ,the number of people opting for the service is far from overwhelming. So there you go, you've got a captive audience already.

Click to expand...

Weller
A: Well, last week in Beijing I had 75 channels to choose from and even touring the Mekong Delta this week in Vietnam I saw satellite dishes atop huts so I probably have a broader perspective than GREGOZ is willing to acknowledge. As for MARIUS, he seems to profess an expertise in both racquet technology and advertising...I have neither. I can only relate what numerous television and sports marketing people have advised. As for reining in the equipment now used out on tour, it would appear that door was left open and the proverbial horse has left the barn. I am surprised to hear that people are running away from the game because of all the "baseline bashing." Wasn't it just a few years ago that we heard it was the predominance of the serve which was killing the game?

Posted by Marius_Hancu
Q: The medical timeouts have gotten totally out of whack. Players are using the current situation for gamemanship purposes.
Thus, yesterday Nadal first was "assessed" for 5 minutes in his match with Moya at TMS Montreal, then the was "treated" for another 5 minutes, breaking Moya's rhythm. Of course, when he came back, his wrist was perfectly OK, continuing to blast winners at will. And in fact the whole treatment was a discussion with the trainer, nothing was really applied. I was there.
If you can't play for 10min, you should be defaulted.

Posted by Andrew D
Q: This is a point that really needs to be explored by the ATP.
During the current USTA boys 18's Nationals the top seed took an injury time-out when trailing 3-6 4-5. He later admitted that he took the medical break as strategy not entirely due to a physical ailment -“ it gave him a chance to think about it, and gave me a chance to gather my energy.”
That attitude is being driven by the behaviour of the pros and the ATP really needs to do something about it to discourage emulation at the junior level. If they dont then the practise will become endemic.
The 'offending' player in the above instance won the match so he obviously got what he wanted. However, what tennis got was sportsmanship traded cheaply for gamesmanship.

Weller
A: I do share the concern for the fact that the expanded medical timeouts now compromise the competition. The history of this goes back 10 years when Shuzo Matsuoka suffered terrible cramps in his Grandstand match at the US Open. Instead of walking out to the middle of the court where Shuzo was immobilized and writhing in pain and telling him, "Shuzo, we can get you medical help right now BUT the match will be over", the referee chose instead to "count him out" over an agonizing three minute period. This led to outcries from fans, media and the medical community about how withholding medical treatment was not only inhumane but could be dangerous to the players' health. The following year, a new rule allowing for a much broader range of medical treatment was introduced (typical of how we sometimes fall prey to "knee-jerk" reactions).
The intent of the old rule was never to withhold necessary medical treatment. However, this treatment should not interrupt the natural flow of the match nor should it allow a player to regain a "natural loss of condition" which, for many of us, is cramping or fatigue. The Australian Open final this year between Hewitt and Safin saw each player take what some categorized as a "strategic" medical timeout. A member of the ITF Medical Commission observed this as well and suggested a review of the current rule. Even a majority of ATP players polled were in favor of placing limits on the current procedures. The resistance is coming from the medical community which seems intent on providing any medical assistance whenever a player needs it. However, in the process, we cannot forsake fairness to the OTHER player or the integrity of the competition.
ANDREWD is correct that not only does this balance need to be restored to the professional game (I'll include the women here because I believe that the gamesmanship of the medical timeout is much more rampant on their side) but also at the junior level. This is one aspect of the professional game we do not want emulated by our junior players.

Weller
A: On a related topic, JROSS has asked for updated injury reports as they have for American team sports. While we would like to keep our fans as informed as possible, we are limited in this regard by the fact that professional tennis players, unlike team sport athletes who are under contract to a team or league, are individual self-employed contractors whose medical histories and records are their domain. Therefore, we do not have the authority to make their injuries and medical prognosis public. Any disclosures would have to come from the players themselves.

5. Posted By Craig Sheppard:
Q: Do you have any firm plans to coordinate more ATP events and WTA events to be at the same time and venue? If not, what is the major hurdle--the size of the venue, not enough time to fit all matches in, sponsorship issues, etc.? Even further, has their been any discussion about merging the ATP & WTA? I know I as well as many other fans take much more interest in an event when both the men and women are playing in the same place.

Weller
A: Craig, the past few years have seen an rapid growth in combined (men's and women's) events on the international tennis calendar. Sydney, Auckland, Memphis, Acapulco, Rome, Washington, Cincinnati, New Haven, Beijing to name a few have joined ATP Masters Series events Indian Wells and Miami as well as the Grand Slams in hosting both the men and the women, many during the same week. While this presents a tournament organizer with tremendous logistical challenges at times (not the least of which is having an appropriate venue or facility which can accommodate such a large undertaking), most feel the added value it brings to their fans make it worth the effort.
As for merging the ATP and WTA, while the concept has been discussed by some, neither player group seems eager to make it happen. You know, men are from Mars, women are from Venus. However, there are areas of the game, mostly behind the scenes, where the two tours are working more closely together than ever before. It has been called the "One Game" approach.

Concerning the length of TV presence, I can only hope you and the ATP will be able to work with those experts which have so successfully advised the PGA, in order to achieve more on time, and not less.

Shortening the matches IMO, etc, is the path of least resistance and will definitely lead long-term to the lessening the influence tennis has in terms of advertising and revenues. It isn't a path golf has followed and PGA has done very well.